Anyone use a steam cleaner?

[pfinarffle]

Got a steam cleaner this winter to clean the 's cage. Anyone use one of these puppies? If so, could you give me words of wisdom? Right now I'm using vinegar-water but it has a tendency to leave a weird white residue at times and initially tends to be semi-stinky prior to drying. Plus you're limited to cleaning what you physically touch. I'm hoping the steam cleaner will cure me of quite a number of these woes.

[oknuma]

I use a steam cleaner for nearly every cleaning job in my home including the birdcage.

I use a handheld unit and use it for everything from cleaning kitchen sink, tiles, benches , to cleaning our toilet and shower etc.

When it comes to the birdcage I always make sure that Batman is out and in another room first. Batman is fully flighted and the very last thing I want happening is her flying into the steam. I then take out all papers etc and get to steaming. I steam perches and toys too.
The best thing about steamers is that you no longer need to use any chemical cleaners or even vinegar.

[pfinarffle]

Love the Batman name!

Do you steam clean acrylic items like toys or food cups? I think this'll be great for the cotton and rope as well as wooden perches where scrubbing just can't get into the material. Just didn't want to, uh, accidentally burn anything remotely like plastic.

[oknuma]

I use it on everything, acrylic, hard plastic (food cups ) , wood perches, natural perches, rope perches, toys.. you name it LOL

cotton perches are great being cleaned this way BUT make sure that after steaming you give them time to cool again before your fid goes back in. ( I imagine the heat gettting stuck in the twists of rope, dont know if its true but.. )

[aarenlainey]

I used steam cleaner for carpet and birdcages , but hardwood probably shouldn’t get that warm or that wet. Sweep, vacuum, and use a bit of a damp mop once in a while, rather than steam it.

[pchela]

The steam cleaner works great by itself. No need to add vinegar or anything. I usually have a towel to wipe down the spots I've just cleaned. That takes care of any streaking or residue.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

I'm not sure a steam cleaner will truly disinfect, however. Clean, yes, but you still need something to sterilize the surfaces unless you can actually bring them up to boiling temperature and hold them there for some time with the steamer.

[pchela]

I think they will sanitize and disinfect as long as they reach a certain temperature. It may be that some of the cheaper models don't reach the correct temp... not sure on that one.

[entrancedbymyGCC]

The thing is that the surface to be disinfected has to be brought to a high enough temperature. The steam itself may be sterile, but you have heat the bacteria enough to kill them. On a very smooth surface, the steamer might do the trick, otherwise I think it would have trouble heating all the pores and bits.

[pchela]

I will defer to the rocket scientist!

In any case, the steam does a good job of getting off stuck on poo and food. I guess you could sanitize afterwards. Or maybe you could add GFSE to the steam? Don't know if that would work.